Let Love In
by JacksTortugaLass
Summary: Doug deals with bringing Clavo home, and fighting his demons while Tom tries his best to help in any way he can.


Let Love In 

Author's Notes: This is a fic regarding the challenge laid forth in the 21 Jumpstreet forums, to use your favorite CD tracks in a story. As according to the rules, the CD tracks are underlined so that you can see that I used them. The Spanish is in italics. The CD and the tracks are found at the bottom of the fiction, as well as the Spanish translations (courtesy of Babel fish translation).

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Tom tried his best not to seem too interested as Doug closed the door to his – now shared by Clavo – bedroom, he wanted to give Doug the space he needed. Doug smiled to him, sitting down in a nearby chair, "Kid's pretty worn out."

"Yeah," Tom sat opposite him, "I guess the trip's even longer when you're a kid."

Doug yawned and Tom noticed again how exhausted he looked. They all were. It had been a long day bringing back Clavo from El Salvador.

"I could stay with you… stay here if you need to talk… you haven't said much about what happened down there."

"Nah, man, you've done enough. I can handle it."

Tom nodded, knowing full well that Doug was just going to torture himself with guilt over what had happened to Marta. As he opened the door and looked back, he said, "As cliché as it sounds, you just gotta let love in." Doug gave no response and Tom took that as his cue to leave.

As the door clicked shut, Doug could almost feel the silence gather around his shoulders and lay there. Doubt, fear, anger, and sorrow all seemed to cloud his mind to the point where he didn't know which to react to first. Burying his face in his hands, he sighed, exasperated. He found himself wishing he could speak to his mother, as he always did when upset. His eyes again fell to the gold band on his finger, and Doug did nothing to stop the tears from falling. If only Marta was here…

Night turned into dawn and Doug found no solutions to any of the things plaguing his mind, and with only a few hours of sleep, he came up with his old standard of staying as positive as he could. As the sun's rays ran across the carpet of the small space that he called the living room, he took a deep breath, certain that better days would come for them all... in time.

The days passed in regular fashion, as days do, and Doug couldn't help but notice how eager Clavo was about to learn from him. The days were full of English and Spanish lessons but during the night, Doug's mind turned to darker thoughts. One night in particular, he found himself at a loss for words, allowing the tears to finally fall without barriers or denying that they were there.

"I can't do this," he whispered aloud, "I can't do this without you here, Marta."

"¿_Cuál es incorrecto?_" came a small, tired voice by his ear.

Turning Doug saw Clavo rubbing his eyes with one hand and clutching the edge of a blanket in the other. Dashing the tears from his eyes to spare Clavo the sight, Doug forced a smile, picking the boy up to sit on his lap.

"Hey, _chico_,what are you doing out of bed? You gotta get some sleep so the _Hada Del Desayuno_ will come."

"_¿Es usted triste?"_ Clavo asked as Doug carried him back to bed and tucked him in.

"I'm a little sad, yeah." Giving Clavo a reassuring smile, as he pulled the blanket to his chin, "But I promise not to be sad anymore, _¿autorización?_" Doug prayed he could keep his promise.

"_¡Autorización!_" The boy smiled as Doug wished him goodnight.

At the door Doug looked out the window, "If you listen I bet you can hear the _Hada Del Desayuno_." Grinning as he watched Clavo's face light up and promise to sleep the night through, Doug closed the door, hoping that his nephew wouldn't see the sadness coloring his smile.

Tom wiped a cloth around a plate, listening as Doug and Clavo 'argued' about clothing. A door shut and Doug picked up the rest of the dishes from the table, "I keep saying that his shirt will give a little bit and fit just fine. But who am I kidding? That boy's just growing up too fast." Placing the dishes in the sink, he looked to Tom, "Thanks for bringing breakfast, you wouldn't believe how well 'The Breakfast Fairy' gets him to sleep the night through."

Tom smiled and an uneasy silence crept over them, occasionally broken by Clavo's Spanish singing.

"How are you?" Tom finally asked, thinking that trying if he could present a cheery front, Doug would be more inclined to talk to him.

"Good. Gettin' a whole lot better at Spanish, that's for sure."

"I meant-"

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Wiping his hands on a towel, he turned the gold ring around on his finger, "I just can't let it go. Not right now, anyway."

"I'm not saying you have to hurry up and heal, I'm just worried." His eyes fell on the photo of everyone from the Chapel, "You know we'll be here for you, right? No matter what."

"Yeah. Thanks, man." Doug clapped him on the back.

They shared a smile before Clavo came out dressed in a sweater and shorts. Doug laughed, "Time to learn your seasons, _chico_."

The Chapel was busy, as it always was near the end of a Friday. Tom had a few more case files to finish and then the weekend could begin. Looking over to Penhall's desk, Tom couldn't help but smile. When a steady stream of Spanish came from the door, Tom watched as Doug came in carrying Clavo on his shoulders. Anyone could tell that their relationship was deepening into that of a father and son. They seemed to have what Tom would call a "strange love" but it made sense to those in it, and that was all that needed to be understood.

Setting Clavo on the floor, Doug knocked on Fuller's door, "Hey, Captain, do you want to meet somebody?"

"_Éste es el capitán._" Doug said to Clavo.

Fuller extended his hand to the child and Clavo gave him a high-five. Fuller smiled to the boy as Harry and Judy came over for 'formal introductions' to Doug's nephew.

Keeping an eye on Clavo, Doug went over to Tom. "Hey. Thanks, man for-"

"Don't mention it." He smiled as Clavo excitedly chattered on in a mix of Spanish and English to the three cops.

"Clavo and I have finally become a family, it's something I've always wanted. And now I have it."

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CD: Let Love In by The Goo Goo Dolls

1. Stay With You

2. Let Love In

3. Feel the Silence

4. Better Days

5. Without You Here

6. Listen

7. Give a Little Bit

8. Can't Let It Go

9. We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)

10. Strange Love

11. Become

Spanish Translations:

"¿_Cuál es incorrecto?_" – "What's wrong?"

_Hada Del Desayuno _– The Breakfast Fairy

"_¿Es usted triste?" _– "Are you sad?"

_¿autorización?_ – Okay?

"_Éste es el capitán._" – "This is the captain."


End file.
